Hyderabad: Ahead of the cabinet meeting on Thursday, deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka-led cabinet sub-committee held talks with govt employees’ JAC leaders on Wednesday and assured them that the Congress govt considered their 57 demands as genuine.“Despite financial constraints, the CM is firm on resolving their issues. The cabinet sub-committee will submit a report to the govt with its recommendations, and the cabinet meeting on Thursday will decide which of the financial intensive and other demands will be accepted,” Bhatti said.Sources told TOI that the cabinet meeting was likely to give preference to clearing a significant quantum of the pending Rs 10,000 bills of the employees and may announce release of one Dearness Allowance and time frame for another DA. The govt may also accept demand of new health cards, but a final decision on “cashless and capless treatment” would be taken after cabinet discussion. The govt may also revise the treatment slabs fixed nearly nine years ago.However, contrary to expectations, sources said the cabinet may not decide on enhancing the retirement age from the present 61 to 64 years following intelligence reports on severe backlash from students and youth.“Resolving the issues of employees is the govt’s responsibility. We are confident that tomorrow’s cabinet meeting will find solutions to many of the demands of the JAC,” he said while emphasising the need for their cooperation so that neither the public nor employees face difficulties.He said that it was due to financial issues resulting from the past decade’s governance that bills and other demands of the employees piled up.“The Congress is continuing many welfare schemes of the previous government and is also implementing its own promises. Also, new schemes not announced in the manifesto have been launched. All this is being done without any additional tax on the citizens. The govt is committed to addressing employees’ demands as part of this effort,” Bhatti said.On their part, the JAC leaders said they would decide their future course of action based on the cabinet decision. The JAC has threatened to launch protest programmes in a phased manner, followed by a pen-down strike from June 9 onwards, if at least some of their important demands are not met.The JAC has demanded 51% fitment (PRC), release of at least three of the five pending DAs and Rs 10,000 crore employees bills, new health cards with cashless and capless treatment, revision of old rates of medical treatment and a number of non-financial issues such as general transfers. Besides these issues, the cabinet meeting on Thursday is also expected to discuss the approval of loans to unemployed youth under Rajiv Yuva Vikasam, implementation status of various development projects and those to be launched with central assistance, and national dam safety authority and vigilance reports.